Ontario Reign right wing Devin Setoguchi (number 8, white jersey) fires a wrist shot from right crease, during a game on December 1, 2012,
at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.
(click to view larger image)
Photo: David Sheehan

ONTARIO, CA — While the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players Association continue to waste everyone’s time with ridiculous, embarrassing posturing and bickering, players have gone overseas to play in European leagues and Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), while others have managed to sign on with minor league teams in North America.

BLOCKBUSTER TRADE: Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi and Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren got the drop on the rest in terms of draft day deals by completing a draft-eve, blockbuster trade that sent center Mike Richards to the Kings in exchange for right wing Wayne Simmonds, center prospect Brayden Schenn, and a second round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Also includes details on Ryan Smyth requesting to be traded and about the Kings and the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Mike Richards
Photo: Los Angeles Kings

LOS ANGELES — With the Stanley Cup Finals and the National Hockey League’s annual awards extravaganza behind us, at this time of year, attention turns to the annual NHL Entry Draft, which is often accompanied by a slew of draft day trades.

EL SEGUNDO, CA — After watching their team lose their poise—the Los Angeles Kings were dominated throughout long stretches of a 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver on March 31—the Kings brain trust has come to the realization that their team will not last long in the Stanley Cup Playoffs without help up front.

As a result, on April 1, the Kings recalled top center prospect Brayden Schenn, under emergency conditions, from the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, a team that is expected to go deep into the WHL playoffs and make it to the Memorial Cup finals.

“We’re going to miss Brayden terribly,” said Blades general manager and head coach Lorne Molleken. “He’s a very special player. But at the same time, we’re absolutely thrilled that he’s getting a chance to play the game at the NHL level, and help the LA Kings in their playoff run.” Read more of this post

Los Angeles Kings star forward Anze Kopitar (center) suffered a broken right ankle late in the second period during a 4-1 win over
the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center
in Los Angeles on March 26, 2011.
Photo: Noah Graham/NHLI via Getty Images and the Los Angeles Kings

LOS ANGELES — Going into the 2010-11 season, the Los Angeles Kings were expected to be a playoff team, as they were last season. But expectations were higher this season, their benchmark for success being to make it into the second round, the Western Conference semi-finals, and with just eight games remaining, their prospects were looking good.

But all that may have come crashing down on March 26, during a decisive 4-1 win over the hapless Colorado Avalanche, as the Kings lost star center Anze Kopitar, who suffered a broken right ankle in a freakish fall late in the second period.

He will be out of the lineup for a minimum of six weeks.

Kopitar will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination on March 28, when the full extent of his injury will become clear, and although there has been no further word from the Kings medical staff, no one should be surprised if Kopitar will be out of the lineup for much longer than six weeks.

At the 15:39 mark of the second period, Kopitar fell backwards, his right leg twisting while his skate remained firmly planted on the ice. Video of the incident, especially slow motion replay, was a gruesome sight to behold. Read more of this post

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